Free Don't Hate the Player...Hate the Game by Katie Ashley

Jake’s mom, tension hung heavy
in the air between Avery and Presley. It looked like two rival
gangs had set up territory in the room adjoining the urn. You had
Avery and her fellow Ice Princesses—the girls who usually rounded
out the Homecoming Court. The girls that no one for the life of
them could explain how they were popular since no one liked them.
Then you had Presley’s group—girls whose popularity came from being
popular with the guys.
    Ironically, as much as each group was staring daggers
at the other, their anger seemed to unite when Maddie entered the
room. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own
eyes. As Maddie embraced Mrs. Nelson, a flurry of conversation went
up among the two groups.
    It was like one of those moments when people are
talking about something, and you have no clue what they’re talking
about. The more you hang around, the more you feel completely out
of the loop, and you start to wonder what the hell is wrong with
you.
    I stared as I watched these two groups of the social
elite annihilate sweet, innocent, Honors program Maddie Parker with
their eyes. I couldn’t imagine why they hated her for being Jake’s
friend and tutor.
    I eased over close to Avery’s group—desperately
trying to hear their conversation.
    “Look at her acting like she and Mrs. Nelson are
united in their grief? I mean, who does she think she is?” one of
the girls snapped.
    “I’ll never understand what Jake saw in her or why he
wanted to be friends with her. I mean, look at her—she’s so not his
type!”
    “Totally pathetic.”
    Another girl nodded in agreement. “Do you remember
how whenever we had a party, he always made us invite her—even
though we knew Daddy’s little angel would never come?”
    Avery snorted. “Thank God she only transferred in
last year. Can you imagine what it would have been like to have had
to put up with Jake and her all these years?”
    What the hell? That funny feeling crept over me again
like I’d missed the great secret. Jake had never mentioned inviting
Maddie to parties to me. But then again by senior year, I’d refused
to attend most of the parties because I’d always end up plastered
with some girl puking on me. Sometimes you can only have so much
fun doing that. have too much fun.
    I inched across the room to get the opposite verdict.
Maddie was talking to Mr. Nelson as the slutty girls sized her up.
Once again, the issue was what Jake had seen in her.
    “I heard she was a virgin,” one of the girls
hissed.
    Presley rolled her eyes. “Oh get serious, Melody. Of
course she’s a virgin! That was her whole allure for Jake—the
conquest. I guarantee you if he’d lived, he would’ve tapped that
ass by graduation.”
    “How can you be so sure? Maddie’s one of those
ultimate goody two-shoe girls.”
    “I’m surprised she doesn’t wear one of those dorky
purity rings.”
    Presley’s eyed narrowed at Maddie. “Trust me girls. I
know what I’m talking about. Besides, Jake could charm the panties
off anyone!” She gazed around the group. “Am I right?”
    All four girls nodded in unison. It put me to
wondering if Maddie was the only girl in the entire room Jake
hadn’t slept with. Well, he and Avery had originally slept
together, but then she’d told him she couldn’t handle a physical
relationship with him. So, basically, he dated her for appearances
while being serviced by other girls. I guess it was a win/win
situation for both of them.
    While I half-heartedly listened to the conversations
floating around me, I couldn’t help the anxious feeling in my gut.
Most of the girls in Jake’s life fit into very black and white
areas. But I couldn’t help worrying that with Maddie, there was
some grey area. She’d seen parts of Jake that hardly anyone
saw—that had to mean something. I just wondered if it meant she was her —the one who the ring belonged to. It was almost too
farfetched to even wonder, let alone believe it could be